Wrench.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

J. H. SHEPHERD.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11.1905. z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 845,588. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

' J.H.SHEPHERD.

' WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11.1905.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET ,2.

JAMES H. SHEPHERD, OF IDAHO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 11, 1905. Serial No. 269,222.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES H. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Idaho Springs, in the county of Clear Creek and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wrenches, the object being to provide a quick-acting and easily-adjustable wrench, the same being composed of few parts, easy to construct and assemble, and not likely to break, wear out, or easy to get out of order.

Another object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the character described having an insulated portion where the hands of the operator are likely to touch.

l/Vith these objects in view my invention consists in a bar having a jaw at one end and provided with a set of interrupted circumferential rack-teeth extending throughout a portion of its length, in connection with a sliding jaw, a sleeve having a screw-feed in connection with the movable jaw and adjustable connection upon the bar, and a handle secured on'the end of the bar, whereby to hold the parts together.

My invention further consists in a bar having a aw thereon, a movable jaw mounted on the bar, an insulated sleeve having a screw-feed connection with the movable jaw, and an insulating-handle at the end of the bar.

My invention still further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the wrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the portion of the main bar of the wrench. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the main bar of the wrench, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

A represents the main bar of the wrench, it being preferably round and having a fixed jaw 1 at one end integral therewith. The movable jaw 2 has sliding adjustable connection with the main bar A, its base provided with a key 3, adapted to slide in the keyway 4 longitudinally of the bar, whereby to prevent the movable jaw from turning axially. One edge of this keyway extends well down toward the end of the bar, as at 5, to afford a guide for the movable jaw in assembling the parts and the cut-away portion of the bar to form this keyway-guide is preferably flush with the cylindrical end 6 of the main bar, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

One end of the sleeve portion of the movable jaw 2 is provided with a screw-thread 7, and the sleeve 8 is provided with a corresponding thread 9, adapted to engage and turn upon the thread 7. This sleeve forms a continuation of the sleeve portion of the movable jaw and is adapted to be manipulated to slide and adjust the movable jaw to its nut, which may be insulated on its exterior, as at 10, the insulation being of any approved rubber or fibrous material commonly employed for such purposes. A portion of the outer surface of the insulated material is knurled, preferably as at 11, to facilitate turning the sleeve, and a pointer 12 is provided to indicate the position the sleeve takes when the movable jaw is to he slid back and forth on the main bar. A set of curved rackteeth 13 13 is formed within the bore of the sleeve, preferably in alinement with the key 3 when the sleeve is in its normal position. Interrupted circumferential rack-teeth 14 14 on the main bar A are located in position to be engaged by the teeth 13 13 when the sleeve is turned to the right to give the fine adjustments to the movable jaw 2. These teeth 14 14 are open at one end and closed at the opposite end, as shown at 21 in Fig. 5, whereby toform a stop at that point to prevent further turning of the sleeve. The first adjustment is of course accomplished by sliding the jaw as close as it will go to the nut to be turned and yet admit of the teeth 13 13 registering with the teeth 14 14. It will frequently happen in the use of a wrench that when the movable jaw is tight against the nut and the sleeve 8 is turned the teeth 13 and 14 will not quite register, and consequently the movable jaw, with the sleeve 8, will have to be drawn away from the nut a small fraction of an inch until the teeth do register. As soon as they do register the movable jaw is locked against sliding farther away from the fixed jaw 1, thus affording support therefor. Thus as the sleeve is turned farther to the right through the medium of screw-threads 7 and 9 the movable jaw 2 is forced securely against the nut, the sleeve being turned until the jaws embrace the nut securely, whereupon the Wrench is IIO operated in the usual manner to tighten or loosen the nut.

Thus in a very simple manner a firm hold is made upon the nut and the wrench is quickly set to the size of the nut and adjusted to the smallest fraction of an inch.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the ends of the mutilated circumferential rack-teeth 14 14 have a diagonal arrangementin other words, they being longer toward the handle. This is very important to the successful operation of the wrench, and the function of this arrangement is to prevent the sleeve from being brought back when adjusting past a greater number of threads than are necessary. The handle 15 is also preferably made of insulating material, and it is removably secured to the bar A in the following manner: It is provided internally with a stud 16. The bar A is provided at its extreme end with a groove 17, which extends inwardly longitudinal of the bar and preferably obliquely in line with the guide 5, as shown in Fig. 5. This groove 17 leads to a circumferential groove 18, which extends nearly around the bar and terminates in a notch 19, which extends up wardly a short distance parallel with and a slight distance from the groove 17. The handle is secured to the bar after the movable jaw and sleeve have been placed thereon by inserting the stud 16 through the groove 17 against the pressure of a moderately-stifi spiral spring 20, which normally presses upwardly upon the handle 15, as shown in Fig. 2, until the stud reaches the circumferential groove 18, when the handle is turned nearly one revolution until it reaches the opposite end of the circumferential groove, when by slackening the pressure against the spiral spring 20 the stud drops into the notch 19 and the handle is locked in position on the bar A, retaining the other parts thereon.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a very simple wrench of few parts is provided, which is easy to manufacture at a comparatively small initial cost, with parts easy to assemble and not likely to break and get out of order, with the portions held in the hand insulated or not, as may be desired.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction hereinafter set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a wrench the combination with a main bar having a jaw thereon and provided with a keyway and a set of interrupted circumferential rack-teeth closed at one end to form a stop, of a movable jaw having a key which is guided in the keyway to prevent it from turning, said movable aw having a screw-thread on one end and a sleeve having a screw-thread which engages the thread on the movable jaw, the sleeve provided with teeth adapted to engage the interrupted teeth, whereby the jaw is moved lengthwise of the bar by the turning of the sleeve.

2. In a wrench the combination with a bar having a jaw on one end and provided with a longitudinal keyway one edge of which is extended to form a guide, the bar having interrupted circumferential rack-teeth closed at one end to form a stop, of a movable jaw having a key adapted to slide in said keyway, and a sleeve having a screw-feed connection with the movable jaw and provided internally with teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the bar.

In a wrench the combination with a main bar having a jaw thereon, said bar having interrupted circumferential rack-teeth thereon closed at one end to form a stop, of a movable j aw and a sleeve having a screw-feed connection with said movable jaw and provided internally with teeth adapted to en gage the interrupted circumferential teeth of the bar, and means for preventing the mov able jaw from turning.

4. In a wrench the combination of a main bar having a jaw thereon, said bar having interrupted circumferential rack-teeth thereon, said teeth open at one end and closed at the opposite end, whereby to form a stop, of a movable jaw and a sleeve having a screwthread connection with said movable jaw and provided internally with teeth adapted to en gage the interrupted circumferential teeth of the bar.

5. In a wrench, the combination with a bar having a jaw on one end and provided with a longitudinal keyway, one edge of which is extended to form a guide, the bar having interrupted circumferential rackteeth closed at one end to form a stop, of a movable jaw having a key adapted to slide in said keyway, a sleeve having screw-feed connection with the movable jaw and provided internally with teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the bar and a handle, said sleeve and handle having an insulated outer surface.

6. In a wrench, the combination with a bar having a fixed jaw on one end and a movable jaw slidably adjustable on said bar, of a handle of insulating material, counterbored throughout a portion of its length to receive the end of the bar to which said handle is removably secured and a sleeve located in position to enter the bore of the handle, said sleeve having an insulating material on its outer surface, and a threaded comiection with the movable jaw and the bar whereby the movable jaw is moved as the sleeve is turned.

7. In a wrench the combination with a main bar having a jaw thereon, and a movable jaw mounted on said bar, of a handle removably secured to the bar, one of said parts having a stud and the other a connected longitudinal and circumferential groove, with an interposed spring normally pressing them apart, for removably locking the handle to the bar.

8. In a wrench the combination with a main bar having a jaw at one end, a spring and a connected longitudinal and circumferential groove at the other end, the circumferential groove having a notch extended alongside and parallel with the longitudinal groove and the longitudinal groove open at the eX- treme end of the main bar, of a handle having a stud adapted to enter the longitudinal groove and be turned axially in the circumferential groove and .finally seated in the notch whereby the handle is locked to the bar.

9. In a wrench, the combination with a main bar having a jaw and circumferential rack-teeth thereon, certain of these teeth longer toward the handle end, of an adjustable sleeve having internal teeth and screwthreads, and a movable jaw provided with screw-threads which the threads in the sleeve engage to move the jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw, according to the direction in which the sleeve is turned.

10. In a wrench, the combination with a main bar having a jaw and interrupted circumferential rack-teeth thereon, one end of i said teeth being diagonally disposed, of a movable jaw, a sleeve having internal teeth, adapted to register with the teeth on the shank and having screw-threaded connection with the shank of the movable jaw whereby the turning of the teeth in the sleeve on the shank simultaneously slides the movable jaw toward or away from the jaw on the main bore.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. SHEPHERD. 

